Curving the backs oe books



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. ELDER, OFl WESTBROOK, MAINE.

CURVING THE BACKS OF BOOKS.

Spec-caton of Letters Patent No. 9,886, dated July 26, 1853.

T0 au whom may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. ELDER, of Westbrook, in the county of Cumberland land State of Maine, have invented an Improvement on Machines for Backing Books; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure I, is an elevation of one side of the machine. Fig. II, is an elevation of the front of the same. Fig. III, is a side view of the working parts. Fig. IV, is a side View of the clamps, toggle joint, and double inclined plane. Fig. V, is a plan of the same. Fig. VI, form of the book before it is acted upon by the roller.

The same letters refer to the same parts in all of the figures.

My invention is designed to take the place of the common mode of hammering the backs of books to prepare them, after they have been glued, for the reception of the covers, this part of the operation of binding a book being done by my machine in much less time and in a more perfect manner than it has heretofore been done by other machines, or by hand-ha1nmering- The principal features of my invention are embraced, first, in the hanging of the roller, which traverses over the back of the book; and second, in the double-inclined plane, by means of which the jaws of the clamps are made to recede from or approach each other, so as to adapt them for holding books of different thickness, and at the same time keep the center or middle of the book in the same position .whether the book be thick or thin.

The frame of the machine is shown at A, A, Figs. I and II, within which are placed the clamps O, P, seen in Figs. II, III, IV, V, having a hole at the lower ends to receive the shaft Q, Q, the ends of which are supported in the boxes S, S which are so fitted as to be raised and lowered by means of two inclined planes, attached to a traversing bar, X, X, which bar is moved back or forth, and its jaws or clamps height, with reference to the position of the roller K, adjusted by turning the screw L, previous to being placed in the clamps, the book R, Fig. IV, is sewed and glued in the usual manner. It is then subjected to the action of the roller K, as herein described, and its back changed from the form shown in Fig. VI to the form shown in Fig. IV, the whole back being rounded and the outer sheets or leaves turned outward, nearly at right angles, just above the top of the clamps, the recess thus formed being about equal to the thickness of the cover of the book. In order to keep the center of the book, whether it be thick or thin, in the same position, I connect one jaw of the clamp, O, by means of the two parallel rods B, B, Figs. III and V, with the ends of a horizontal rod or bar W, which extends nearly across the breadth of the machine. The other jaw P, is attached to the toggle-joint C, C, the opposite end of the toggle joint being attached to the horizontal bar V, which is parallel with the bar W.

Between the above named bars W and V I place a pyramidal or wedge-shaped block of cast-iron, M, the breadth of the lower end or base being such as to adapt it to the thickness of the thinnest books required to be bound and tapering upward at such an angle as to adapt the top of the pyramid to the thickest books. The screw N, which plays vertically, in a suitable frame or support, e, is attached to the top of the wedge M, which is raised or lowered by turning the wheel N, attached to the screw, just above the frame, 0. As the wedge is raised by this screw the parallel bars IV and V, are thrust farther apart, thus causing the jaws P, and O, to approach each other. As

the wedge is lowered the bars W and V ap` preach each other and cause the jaws P, and O, to open wider.

To the center of the toggle-joint c, a vertical rod, a, is jointed, extending downward to the joint in the treadle or lever L, one end o-f the lever being jointed to the frame of the machine and the other being in a suitable position for the pressure of the foot upon it, by which means the toggle joint c, is depressed and the jaw P, brought firmly up to the side of the book, R, the lever, h. being held down by a suitable catch o, in opposition to the action of the spring, 2 The roller K, which hangs eccentric to the book, is of greater length than the longest book that is to be bound, is made to traverse over the back of the book, and turns freely in suitable boxes J, J, placed opposite to each other, and supported working in slots in the swinging frame c, e, to which a nandle, T, is attached. The height in the slots of the boxes J, J, may be adjusted by turning the screws 3, 3.

Upon each side of the frame of the machinejand near its front there is a large, circular aperture, in which the axis, H, turns when the treadle or lever z', is raised or lowered, the motion being communicated by means of the vertical rod I), the rocken shaft and arms, D, the rods E, E, and the arms, F, which is affixed to the axis H. Two pivots I, I pass through the lower part of the swinging-frame U, just below the boxes J, J, and thence pass through and turn in the axis H, the pivots I, I, being the center of motion V, as the handle T is moved back and forth to carry the roller K of the swinging frame U over the back of the book. By the movement of the axis H, the roller is carried back, so as to allow the book to be lifted upward and removed from the jaws of t-he clamps without coming in contact with the roller K. As the book is placed in the clamps from below, the outside leaves are kept smooth, and in place. One or more springs 7*, are attached to the treadles and so fastened at the upper end as to lift the treadles when the catches 0, and 29, are removed. By raising or lowering the boxes J, J and jaws or clamps O and P the radial distance from the roller K, to the center of mot-ion I is changed, thus diminishing or increasing the curvature of the back of the book.

Nhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. Hanging the frame, carrying the pressure roller K upon, and eccentrically to the center of motion of the arms F, so that the center of motion of the frame can be raised at pleasure, in the manner and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of the wedge M and bars W and V when connected with the aws of the clamps as described, for the purpose of keeping the center of the book, whatever its thickness, vertical with the bearings G of the swinging frame U as described and set forth.

JOHN A. ELDER.

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